The Most Common and Worst Narnia Criticism

Door Jam: September 28, 2024

Sep 28, 2024

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The Door Jam is a place to squeeze in relevant articles written about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, their work, adaptations of their fantasy worlds, and other potentially interesting news, information, and articles. Unless otherwise stated, I’m not necessarily endorsing (or criticizing) any of these, but merely sharing them with you.

This week’s top story is a rant from me about an article that advocates for the most repeated (and stupid) criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia. Other news features a Narnia movie update, the premiere of a C.S. Lewis ballet, Tolkien’s thoughts on adaptations of his works that include the words “Art or Cash,” a Middle-earth trail to explore, and some other interesting entertainment news, including the beginning of the Jesus Cinematic Universe.

Top Story

When I read the recent Screen Rant clickbait headline, “Greta Gerwig's Narnia Remake Can Bring Justice To 1 Character After 68 Years,” I already knew everything the article would say. It was, of course, arguing that C.S. Lewis mistreated Susan because he was sexist and backward thinking.

When our C.S. Lewis read-along reaches The Last Battle, I will fully deal with this criticism, but let me briefly address it now. Two points should be considered: Susan’s character arc was established and continued throughout the Narnia books, and Lewis never gives her a definitive ending.

He addresses both issues in letters to children who ask about Susan. He reminds one little girl that Susan was “fond of being too grownup” even in the earlier books but then says there is “plenty of time for her to mend, and perhaps she'll get to Aslan's country in the end.”

Another asked Lewis about writing a redemption story for Susan. He responds that he can’t do that. “Not that I have no hope of Susan ever getting to Aslan's country,” he says, “but because I have feeling that the story of her journey would be longer and more like a grown-up novel than I wanted to write.”

Susan’s problem is not that she grows up and discovers sexuality, as some suggest. Her problem is that she sees growing up as contradictory to a belief in Narnia. She’s “grown up” but not mature.

Additionally, it would be difficult to categorize Narnia, properly or even basically understood, as sexist. Boys often serve as the negative examples—think Edmund, Eustace, and early Digory—while Lucy is the primary heroine of the books. She’s the closest to Aslan and the quickest to understand Him.

Lewis actually changed his original formulation of the children to focus the series on a young girl. In an early draft, he wrote: “This book is about four children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose, and Peter. But it is most about Peter who was the youngest.” He kept the name Peter and the focus on the youngest but made that character Lucy.

If you want to read from actual Lewis scholars and experts about how he regarded women in real life and his writing instead of random clickbait writers on the internet with ill-conceived hot takes, read Women and C.S. Lewis.

Greta Gerwig does not need to “bring justice” to Susan or “fix this one terrible Narnia mistake.” But it would be great if she could help some people become better readers.

Since I’m concentrating on two reviews and the C.S. Lewis read-along in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader right now and not doing a regular weekly column, I thought I’d include some of the sections I normally feature in that article.

Not Safe But Good

C.S. Lewis quote of the week

“Where can you taste the joy of obeying unless He bids you do something for which His bidding is the only reason?”

Perelandra

Tumnus’ bookshelf

A book by or about C.S. Lewis

Since I mentioned it earlier, let me specifically plug Women and C.S. Lewis: What His Life and Literature Reveal for Today's Culture. Numerous Lewis experts, both male and female, discuss how he interacts with women in his everyday life and his writing. This is a go-to book on the topic.